Machine for drying photographic prints and the like.



e. M. DYE. MACHINE FORDRYING PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. I9. I91? 1,277,202; Patented Aug. 27, 1918'.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

7/ o Q/l 63 419 QZZMMLgs G. M. DYE.

MACHINE FOR DRYING PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. I9, [917.

Patented Aug. 7, 1918'.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

GLEN m. DYE, or MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

' MACHINE FOR DRYING PHOTOGBAPHIC PRINTS ,AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 2'7, 1918.

Application filed January 19, 1917. Serial No. 143,402.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GLEN M. DYE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machinesfor Drying Photographic Prints and thelike and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as w1ll enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide a machine for dryingphotographic prints and the like; and, to this end, it consists of thenovel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described anddefined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, likecharacters indicate like parts views.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure 1 is a left hand elevation .of the machine; a

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary View, partly in front end elevation and partlyin vertical section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a rear end elevation of the machine;

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary detail view with some parts sectioned on theline 44 of Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail view, pI'lIlcipally in section taken onthe line 55 of Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale; and ,V Fig. 6 is an endelevation of the parts shown in Fig; 5.

The numeral 7 indicates a frame having a front extension 8 pivotedthereto for vertical movement. Oblique braces 9 rigidly connect theextension 8 to the frame 7 and support the same in a horizontalposition.

Mounted within the frame 7 in a plane above the extension 8, is arelatively large cylinder 10 having a smooth periphery and air ports 11in its head. This cylinder isloosely j-ournaled on a horizontal burnerpipe 12, which extends transversely through the frame 7 with its endsseated in horizontally elongated holes 13 formed in the webs of channelbars' 1 1 secured to the sides of the frame 7, with their flanges turnedout ward. Caps 15 close the ends of the burner pipe 12 and their upperand lower surfaces throughout the several are flattened for engagementwith the flanges of the channel bars 14 toprevent rotatlon of saidburner pipe. Longitudinally spaced burner holes 16 are formed in theburner pipe 12. Long adjusting screws 17 have screw-threaded engagementwith lugs 18 on the webs of the channel bar 14 and their ends impingeagainst the front faces of the caps 15. Y Y

An endless apron 19 of canvas, or other suitable material, runs over thecylinder 10 and guide rollers 20 to 25, inclusive. In the left hand-endportions of the guide rollers 20 to 25, inclusive, are alined peripheralgrooves 26 in which runs a bead 27 formed by hemming the left hand edgeof the apron and placing therein a cord.- The other edge of the apron 19is loose and free to drift. As is well known, a relatively soft apronwill tend to drift toward its loose or slack edge.

The roller guide 20 is loosely journaled on a rod 28, the ends of whichare rigidly secured to the side members of the extension 8, quite closeto the front or outer transverse portion thereof. This guide roller 20is so located as to hold the apron 19, while approaching the cylinder10, in horizontal position to afford a feeding table 29 on which theprints are placed emulsion side down. The guide roller 21 is secured forrotation with a shaft 30 journaled in bearings on the frame 7. Thisguide roller 20 and the guide roller 21 hold the apron 19 so as toengage the cylinder 10 throughout substantially three-fourths of itscircumference. The guide rollers 22 and 23 are loosely jou rnaled onrods 31 secured to the frame 7 over the front and rear uprights thereof,respectively. The guide roller 24 is located directly below the guideroller in a plane below the cylinder 10 and is loosely journ-aled on arod 32. The ends of this rod 32 have squared engagement with socket-likemembers 33 pivoted to sleeves 34 slidably mounted on the rear uprightsof the frame 7 The members 33 are free for vertical movement but areheld, by the sleeves 34, against horizontal movement. Set screws 35 holdthe sleeves 34 where set on the uprights of the frame 7 A pair of arms36 are pivoted to the front uprights of the frame 7 for verticalswinging movement directly below the side members of the extension 8.The free or outer ends of the arms 36 are flexibly connected by a rod 37on which the guide roller 25 is loosely journaled directly below theguide roller 20. The arms 36 permit the guide roller 25 to assumediflerent angular positions in a verticalv plane.

An inverted bail-like bar 38 has its ends secured to the rod. 37 and aweight 39 has sliding movement on the intermediate portion thereof. Aset screw 40 holds the weight 39 in different adjustments. By referenceto Fig. 1, it will be noted that the guide roller 25 is supported on theapron 19 and affords a tightener therefor. To cause the apron 19 to tendto drift laterally from its bead 27'and thereby hold the apron smoothwithout folds, wrinkles, or pockets, the guide rollers 23 and 24 may bemade to converge, or the convergence thereof varied, at will, byadjusting one of the sleeves 34 vertically. The guide rollers 20 and 25may also be made to converge, or the convergence thereof varied, atwill, by adjusting the weight 39 on the rod 37. By adjusting the setscrews 17, the cylinder 10 may also be set, with respect to the guiderollers, to tend to cause the apron 10 to drift toward its free edge.The apron 19, and hence, the cylinder 10 are caused to travel in thedirection of the arrows marked thereon in Fig. 1 by driving the shaft 30from a motor 41 secured to the frame 7 below the apron 19.

On the armature shaft of the motor 41, is a small grooved wheel 42 overwhich and a relatively large grooved wheel 43, runs a belt 44. The wheel43 is secured to the rear end of a horizontal counter shaft 45 journaledin bearings 46 secured to the uprights of the frame on the left sidethereof. A worm 47 on the front end of the shaft 45 meshes with a wormwheel 48 secured to the left hand end of the shaft 30. To further assistin driving the apron 19, the guide roller 22 is driven from the guideroller 21 by a sprocket chain 49, which runs over alined sprocket wheels50 on said guide rollers 21 and 22. A tray 51 is secured to the frontuprights of the frame 7, directly below the guide roller 21, in positionto receive the prints Z as they are discharged from between the cylinder10 and apron 19.

The bead 27 is held in the alined grooves 26 by small wheels 52journaled on brackets 53 rigidly but adjustably secured to the left handends of the rods 28, 31, 32 and shaft 30. These wheels 52 overlie theapron 19, just inside of the bead 27 and at points where said apron isabout to pass over the respective guide rollers. There is justsufficient room for theapron to freely pass under the wheels 52 but notenough to permit the bead 27 to be drawn from the grooves 26 by alateral drifting movement of the apron. The pull of the apron 19 on saiddelivery end of which has communication with said burner pipe 12 throughthe left hand cap 15. Of course, suitable air intake opemng or openings,not shown, will be provided at a point where the gas enters the burnerpipe 12.

The operation of the machine may be briefly described as follows, towit:-

The prints Z are placed on the feeding table 29 with the emulsion sidedown and in wet condition, just as they are received from the washing.Under the traveling movement of the apron 19, the prints are carried onthe feeding table 29, between the cylinder 10 and apron 19, which iskept at the proper temperature by the burner therein. By placing theprints on the feeding table 29, with their emulsion sides down,

the backs thereof are in direct contact with the cylinder 10, during thedrying process. The speed of the cylinder 10 is such as to give theprints, held thereon by the apron 19, sufficient time to dry' before thesame' are deposited in the tray 51. The release of the prints Z frombetween the cylinder 10 and apron 19 is, of course, caused by said apronbeing directed therefrom by the guide roller 21.

It is, of course, highly necessary to keep the apron '19 smooth, inorder that the prints may be held smooth on the cylinder 10, during thedrying process, and this is accomplished, as previously described, byholding one edge of the apron l9 and creating a tendency for said a ronto drift toward its free" or slack side. efore shipping the machine, thesame may be entirely assembled, with the exception of the braces 9, thuspermitting the extension 8 and arms 36, with the apron 19 in position onthe guide rollers 20. and 25, to be turned up into a vertical positionat the front of the machine. With the said parts thus folded, the sizeofthe machine is greatly reduced, which facilitates crating andshipping. When the machine reaches its designation, it is only necessaryto turn down the folded parts and secure the braces 9 in position.

From the above-description, it is evident that after the wet prints areplaced on the feeding table 29, the action of the machine is entirelyautomatic and a large number of prints ma be very quickly dried withvery little woriz.

What I claim is 1. In a dryin machine of the kind described, the comination with a frame, of a revoluble cylinder and guide rollersjournaled on theframe, an endless apron ararranged to run over thecylinder and guide rollers, and means for holding one edge of the apronagainst transverse movement toward the other edge thereof but withfreedom for longitudinal movement, said other edge of the apron beingfree to drift transversely and the cylinder and guide rollers arrangedto be set to produce a tendency in the apron to drift transverselytoward the free edge thereof.

2. In a drying machine of the kind described, the combination with aframe, of a revoluble cylinder and guide rollers journaled on the frame,at least one of which has a bead-engaging shoulder, and an endless apronarranged to run over the cylinder and guide rollers and having at one ofits edges a bead engaging said shoulder, the other edge of the apronbeing free to drift transversely and the cylinder and guide rollersarranged to be set to produce a tendency in the apron to drifttransversely toward its free edge. y y 3. In a drying machine of thekind described, the combination with a frame, of a revoluble cylinderand guide rollers journaled on the frame, certain of the guide rollershaving at one of their ends alined peripheral grooves, and an endlessapron arranged to run over the cylinder and guide rollers and having atone of its edges a bead arranged to run in said alined grooves, theother edge of the apron being free to drift transversely and thecylinder and guide rollers arranged to be set to produce a tendency inthe apron to drift transversely toward its free edge.

A. In a drying machine of the kind described, the combination with aframe, of a revoluble cylinder and guide rollers journaled on the frame,certain of the guide rollers having at one of their ends alinedperipheral grooves, an endless apron arranged to run over the cylinderand guide rollers and having at one of its edges a bead arranged to runin said alined grooves, the other edge of the apron being free to drifttransversely and the cylinder and guide rollers arranged to be set toproduce a tendency in the apron to drift transversely toward its freeedge, and guides for holding the bead insaid alined grooves.

5.. In a dryin machine of the kind described, the com ination with aframe, of a revoluble cylinder and guide rollers journaled. on theframe, certain of the guiderevoluble cylinder and guide rollers jour-'naled on the frame, certain of the guide rollers having at one of theirends alined peripheral grooves, and an endless apron arranged to runover the cylinder and guide rollers and having in one of its edges abead arranged to run in said alined other edge of the apron being ee todrift transversely and certain of the guide rollers arranged to be setto produce a tendency in the apron to drift transversely toward its freeedge.

i 7. In a drying machine of the kind described, the combination with aframe, of-a revoluble cylinder and guide rollers journaled on the frame,certain of the guide rollers having at one of their ends alinedperipheral grooves, an endless apron arranged to run over the cylinderand guide rollers and having in one of its edges a bead arranged to runin said alined grooves, the other edge of the apron being free to drifttransversely and certain of the guide rollers arranged to be set toproduce a tendenc 1n the apron to drift transversely towar its freeedge, and bead in said ahned grooves.

8. In a drying machine of the kind described, the combination with aframe, of a pipe-like burner secured to the frame, a cylinder journaledon said burner, guide rollers journaled on the frame, an endless apronarranged to run over the cylinder and guide rollers, and means forangularly adjusting the burner and hence the cylinder to produce atendency in'theapron to drift toward one end thereof.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GLEN M. DYE.

Witnesses CLARA. DEMAREST, HARRY D. KILGORE.

ooves, the

guide rollers for holding the

